


What If...?: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

by wordwarrior (regachoisiah)



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Multi, Timelines
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:27:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26744371
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/regachoisiah/pseuds/wordwarrior
Summary: Universe: Earth 188888.The year is 2012. The Avengers have just managed to stop Loki and the invasion of the Chitauri. With the world forever changed by that incident, the organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. struggles to maintain the peace.(aka an alternate timeline centered on our favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. characters. Don't expect this to go the way the show went, we're on a whole new journey)
Relationships: Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Jemma Simmons & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Leo Fitz & Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie, Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons, Leo Fitz & Jemma Simmons & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Leo Fitz & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Lincoln Campbell & Skye | Daisy Johnson, Phil Coulson & Jemma Simmons, Phil Coulson & Melinda May, Skye | Daisy Johnson & Antoine Triplett, Skye | Daisy Johnson & Grant Ward
Comments: 5
Kudos: 8





	1. The Johnson Triplets

DAISY JOHNSON

Location: S.H.I.E.L.D. training center "Camp Roanoke", Arizona, United States

Time: 4:00 PM

_Pew! Pew!_ _Pew!_

As the last shot hit the wooden target right where the nose would've been, Daisy Johnson quickly reloaded her pistol before firing another five shots at a different target down the range. The shots on the second target were less accurate but, just from the placements of each round, this enemy would still be just as dead as the other one. She let out a deep sigh as she holstered her weapon and took off the earmuffs that helped stop her ears from ringing from the gunshots. _Not bad...could be better, but not bad._

"Very impressive, Agent Johnson," said Senior Agent Antoine Triplett, who was watching her as she fired at the targets. His face, which was stone cold serious at the start of this training session, morphed into a friendly smile, which put Daisy at ease. It wasn't easy trying to remain stoic and focused when you had an audience, especially when that audience member was the one who was assessing your performance to see if you had what it takes to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. field agent. One wrong move and she was worried that he would doom her to a life of desk work and menial tasks. 

S.H.I.E.L.D. aka the Strategic, Homeland, Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. After four years at the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Operations, she had graduated near the top of the class and was poised to move straight into field duty. In fact, every single one of her professors and trainers all recommended her for immediate active duty. All that was left was for her to be assigned to a team. 

"My aim was a little off," Daisy said as she pointed at the second target, "I was going for the head but got somewhere closer to the neck."

"Well, don't beat yourself up over it. Neck shots can still be pretty fatal, so I doubt that'll be much of an issue moving forward. Trust me, most of the S.H.I.E.L.D. guys you're hoping to work for will still be happy that you got the guy." 

At that, Daisy shrugged. "I guess that's good to hear?" 

"Anyways, I think I've seen enough. You've got good handling on your weapons, you cleared the hostage crisis course with excellent time, you're one of the best students coming out of the Academy, and everyone I met who knows you says that you're worth the time and effort. I'll put in my recommendation today." 

"Wait, really? No more qualifying exams or anything?"

"Nope...everything moving forward will just be a formality. In fact...I think I already know which S.H.I.E.L.D. officer we'll have you assigned to."

Daisy couldn't help but smile at that. Inside, she was fighting the urge to just lunge forward and hug the man but she had to remain professional. After all, this wasn't some regular blue-collar, white-collar job, this was S.H.I.E.L.D. and the last thing she wanted was to create a bad first impression. So instead, she went for a handshake, which Agent Triplett gladly obliged. 

_S.H.I.E.L.D. operative Daisy Johnson. After four years...I finally made it._

The two then made their way back to the barracks. As they walked, a thought occurred to her. _Why was my last test a simple firing session? Was the crisis course not enough?_ It seemed like an odd thing to be concerned about but it did make for a strange, anticlimactic end to the S.H.I.E.L.D. vetting process. _Was the final test really this easy?_ Feeling nervous, she looked to Agent Trip and said, "So, if you don't mind, I just had a question."

"Shoot."

"I finished the crisis course and all the other qualifying tests before today. I'm not trying to brag, I'm just saying that it's a little weird that the final test was-"

"-shooting your pistol down the range?"

"Uh...yeah. So, what's the reason? Is there some level of accuracy that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s looking for? Is there a hidden meaning that I'm missing?" 

Trip chuckled at that. "Nah, you just looked stressed, that's all. I thought that having you fire off some rounds at the range could help you relax. This is a stressful job, you gotta learn to chill every once in a while. Besides...I already was going to recommend you based on your class placement alone."

Daisy could feel her face going red. _Am I really that serious of a person? Have I forgotten what it's like to just relax? God, no wonder Skye and Iris don't want to talk to me anymore._ And at that, just the mere thought of her sisters ruined her mood. 

_Damn it...I'm back at the house. That damn house that never wants to leave._

/

_"You let mama die!"_

_"It was an accident! She was going to hurt Skye!"_

_"I was trying to help mom! Why didn't you ask me what was happening!? You never think about these things, that's why nobody likes you!"_

/

"Johnson? You okay?"

Trip's words snapped Daisy back to reality. "Sorry...I just...I blanked out for a second."

"Still stressed out about your recommendations?"

"No...it's...um...family business." Daisy winced at that. She could've gave any other excuse but she chose the truth. 

Trip nodded his head at that, visibly uncomfortable at the mention. "Yeah, I read about that in your S.H.I.E.L.D. dossier. The other two triplets, right? Skye and Iris?" 

Daisy nodded at that. _Yup. The Johnson Trio. You couldn't tell us apart but you instantly knew who was who the moment any of us started speaking. I wonder how they're doing. I already know they don't care about me but...family is family._

"Do you wanna talk about it," Trip asked, "But only if you're okay with it. I mean, I'm no therapist but I do try to help-"

/

_"Daisy...what did you do, Daisy?"_

_"Mama, I don't...I...I didn't...I wasn't...no, I-"_

_"Look at what you did, baby girl. This is on your head."_

_/_

"-I'm not okay with talking about it," Daisy said, bluntly. _And maybe I never will be._ "I appreciate the gesture, Agent Triplett."

"Sure, sure. And by the way, you could just call me Trip. Agent Triplett sounds too stiff."

"Alright...Trip. You can call me Daisy."

* * *

SKYE JOHNSON

Location: Rising Tide headquarters, Edinburgh, Scotland

Time: 10:00 PM 

"Son of a...we've got company."

Skye Johnson was just finished hastily shoving her laptop into her backpack when she heard Leo Fitz say those words. She put the backpack on, then took the revolver that was sitting on the desk behind her. After quickly checking that it was loaded, she holstered the weapon and made her way to the main room where Fitz was. He scratched his beard as he looked out the window. As he looked out, he made sure he was out of view so that anyone who was looking in couldn't tell where he was. 

"What's going on out there?" Skye asked, "SAS? Police?"

"Indigo Army operators are out there. I don't know how many but enough to surround us. Somehow, they found out about our Stark Industries hack and now they're here for the hard-drive."

"How would you know that? Don't you think you're being overly paranoid?"

"No, I know they're there. Because they tripped off nearly every one of my alarms in the area. You don't need to be a genius to know why they're here."

 _Damn it! Of all the things that could happen today!_ The Rising Tide is the world's most infamous hacktavist organization. Since their formation, they've become a thorn in the side of every first-world nation, using leaks and hacks in order to force some kind of change in society. Unfortunately, the rise of the Rising Tide also led to several pretender organizations, as well as counter movements. The most notable of the counter movements is the Indigo Army. They were the polar opposite of the Tide; if the Rising Tide wanted to change society, then the Indigo Army wanted society to stay the same.

The hack on Stark Industries had run smoothly. First, get an insider into the organization. Second, hack them from the inside in order to get classified information regarding future programs and technology. Third, release the information to the public in increments. The goal was simple; expose Tony Stark as a liar by showing that his weapons division was still being run in secrecy. At the very least, even if they couldn't get any dirt on him in that manner, they could still hurt the corporation by making their secrets public. 

_And he deserves to be taken down. Never trust a billionaire, they only care for themselves._

Suddenly, the door to the office swung open. Fitz reached underneath a couch and pulled out a shotgun while Skye took out her revolver. Fortunately for them, it was just Idaho, a fellow Rising Tide hacker. He looked visibly shaken and tired, his face completely matted with sweat. 

"Hey, it's me!" Idaho shouted as he quickly put his hands in the air. Fitz let out a sigh in annoyance and lowered his shotgun. 

"We need to go now. Cooper's behind the building, he's getting us out of here."

"You're sure Cooper's not compromised?" Fitz said, his tone harsh, "Because I'm really struggling right now to get over the fact that guys from the Indigo Army somehow found this location."

"I swear, boss, we're all good." Idaho tried to smile but sensing the tension in the room, he just looked to the side.

"Something's not right here," Skye said. She couldn't explain it but she felt that something was going wrong. Something they didn't foresee. It was a strange thought since Rising Tide always made sure to properly vet each member before they join. _Could there be an informant? No, that's impossible._

"It's simple; we have a rat problem," Fitz said.

"Nothing is ever that simple. We could've also made an error in the hack job-"

"-no, we didn't mess up. You were in charge of the hack and you don't mess up. Ever. That job was executed perfectly-"

"-Nothing's perfect, Fitz. For all we know, Stark could've made a last minute change to his security. Or maybe S.H.I.E.L.D. stepped in. Or maybe-"

"-the Indigo Army already knew what we were doing and waited until we got the information from Stark."

That thought terrified Skye. Either it meant there was a mole in the Rising Tide or that they somehow managed to track their organization's movements. Either way...information was getting leaked out to the Indigo Army. 

Fitz angrily huffed and grabbed his backpack. "Well, no use trying to figure out what's going on now," Fitz said, "First, we need to get out of here. But I promise you two, the moment we're in the clear, we're gonna go through each person in this damn organization and snuff out the rat who did this." Idaho nodded at that and walked out the office with Fitz and Skye following closely behind.

The three Rising Tide hackers managed to sneak their way around the building, making sure to stay out of the light. As they made their way to the back in order to get to Cooper's car, Skye already spotted three cars that were parked in the area that had people just watching the building. The Indigo Army had great hackers...but they were no S.H.I.E.L.D.. Even a civilian could tell that this was a stakeout. As they turned around into an alley, Skye watched as at least four Indigo Army members entered the office building, not even trying to be discreet. _What a bunch of amateurs._

Cooper, a heavyset man in his forties who was sitting in the driver's seat, let the three hackers inside. Skye sat shotgun while Fitz and Idaho decided to sit in the back. As soon as Skye buckled her seatbelt, Cooper turned back to Fitz and said, "Look, I know what you're thinking, but it's not me."

"It's alright, man," Idaho said, "Let's just get out of here first, then we'll discuss this."

"Look, Mr. Fitz, I know that this seems sketchy. And I know this doesn't look good for either me or Idaho. But I'm telling you, I didn't know anything about the Indigo Army. I was vetted by Alistair Fitz, so you know that I'm telling the truth-"

"-You think that just because my father vetted you, that should give you a free pass?" Fitz said, his tone unusually dark. Skye looked at him, surprised. She was used to him being serious but at that moment, he sounded straight up venomous. She's seen this before. The times when Fitz seemed to turn into another person when his mind went to dark places. Sometimes, Skye wondered if he truly was becoming a different person during these moments. 

Cooper was at a loss of words, unable to even look at Fitz in the eyes. Meanwhile, Idaho had his hand firmly on the door handle, ready to jump out in case Fitz lost his temper. 

"Calm down, Fitz," Skye said, "he's just scared, he didn't mean to bring... _him_ up."

"Don't twist my words, I'm not angry at that...I'm angry because some two-faced, lying piece of trash just sold us out."

"And we'll find who did it. And when we do...I'll kill them myself." She turned around and gave him a reassuring look. Fitz knew this look by now. She didn't have to say anything, he just knew that she meant what she had to say. 

And deep down...Skye really meant it. 

"Fair enough," Fitz said, finally relaxing in his seat, "Alright, get us out of here." Cooper nodded at that, started the car, and slowly drove out of the area. He made sure to go the opposite direction away from the Indigo Army. By the time the Indigo Army found out that they were no longer in the building, they were long gone. 

/

_Skye approached the strange device in the middle of the room. Her mother had told her not to touch it but there was something about it that drew her attention. As she reached forward to touch the item, she heard a loud thud behind her. "Skye, don't!" was all she heard before she was pulled away from the item by a man she didn't recognize._

_Suddenly, there was a loud hiss and some kind of smoke or mist came out of the object. As the smoke reached her, the man started screaming. Skye screamed back as she saw that the man was...disintegrating. She nearly passed out from the shock before she heard a familiar voice tell her to get away from the dying man._

_The last thing Skye saw before she passed out was Daisy and Iris pulling her as far from the mist as possible. As they did, the man's entire body turned to stone before completely crumbling away._

* * *

IRIS JOHNSON

Location: San Francisco, California, United States 

Time: 10:00 A.M.

"Wakey wakey, miss quakey. Quaker oats, that is."

That was what Iris heard as she slowly opened her eyes. _Well, this has got to be the best breakfast ever._ Scrambled eggs, three strips of bacon, oatmeal with a lot of condensed milk...and a very shirtless Grant Ward delivering it to her. There was absolutely no reason for him to be shirtless, which could only mean he was doing this for her benefit. Even after two years of dating, she still couldn't help but blush at the sight of him. 

_Seriously...what does this man see in a dorky girl like me? God, how did I land a frigging male supermodel?_

Iris sat up and reached over to her bedside drawer to put on her unusually large glasses. The "nerd glasses", a term coined by Mr. Grant Ward himself. Iris hated that the glasses made her feel so dorky but then again, they weren't supposed to be a fashion statement. If she cared enough about how she looked, she would've traded in her glass a long time ago. She was fine with just having glasses that worked. Plus, there was no way she would even consider wearing contacts. Just the idea of putting her finger near her eyeballs made her cringe. 

As Iris began to chow down on her food, she looked up to Grant and said, "You know, cooking without a shirt on could be bad for you. You could get hot oil on your abs and burn yourself. And you already know how expensive medical bills can be."

"What makes you think I cooked shirtless?" Grant jokingly said.

"I don't know, it sounds like something you would do."

"Okay, for the record, I didn't. I only took my shirt off because...well...I know it makes you happy." 

Iris snorted at that and immediately regretted it. _Damn it...how is it that among identical triplets, two of the three will have tolerable laughs while the third, me, gets one that sounds like a dying whale?_

As Iris finished her oatmeal, she grabbed her phone and saw a text message from her coworker, Lincoln Campbell:

**LINCOLN: Yo, Rosalind Price is appearing at the con today! Today's your lucky day, get to meet your favorite actress. Cosplay as Lady Plasma, that'll make her laugh.**

Iris laughed at that. It was true, Rosalind Price is currently one of the most sought-after actresses in Hollywood. Iris' favorite role of hers was Lady Plasma, the main villain of the "Sandcastle" sci-fi series. Definitely not the type of series that the Oscars would give a nod to but she didn't care, those movies were enough to feed her appetite for epic space operas. Since today was her day off, she had been planning on joining up with Lincoln to see her. 

As Iris got up to change, Ward followed her to the walk-in closet to change as well. As he started buttoning up a shirt, Ward turned to Iris and said, "Hey, the boss is having me attend this lame ass gala in the Mission District. Something about marine life and deep sea diving...I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention." 

That didn't surprise Iris. When it comes to dating a reporter/photojournalist, she had gotten pretty used to him attending these kinds of events. It was "part of the job", as he would also claim. Still, she hated it when he sprung this on her at the last second. "That's fine," Iris said, "I'll be pretty busy today anyways."

"Really...oh wait, it's that con thing, right? It's today?"

"Yeah."

"Gonna see Lady Plasma?"

"Yep."

"With Lincoln Campbell?"

Iris almost cringed when he said that. She wasn't blind, she knew what this looked like; single man, woman in a relationship where the boyfriend was always off attending some late night event, both attending something together. Her relationship was purely platonic with Lincoln but still, she knew it bothered Ward. "Hey, don't even start with that," Iris said as she fumbled around with her jeans. 

"I wasn't trying to insinuate anything, I was just saying...you know...you two have been hanging out a lot lately." 

Iris stopped changing and put her hands on her hips. _Not this again. Please._ "Yes, we've been hanging out. Because he works with me and he just so happens to share a lot of my interests. I don't question you when you go out on these late night events by yourself. Or when you go hang out with your friends."

"Iris, come on, I wasn't trying to-"

"-even if you weren't trying to start something, it was your tone."

"Alright, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Let's just...drop this."

And they did just that. The room went quiet as they both finished changing. As soon as Ward finished changing, he grabbed his stuff and turned to Iris. After realizing that Iris didn't want to talk to him at the moment, he nodded his head and left their apartment. 

Iris tightened her fist and hit herself in the leg. _Stupid! Why did you escalate that situation! Why are you like this?!_

_Why are you like this?_

Iris grabbed a chair and sat down. As she did, that question kept repeating itself in her head. _Why are you like this? Why are you like this? Why are you like this? Why are you like this?_

/

_"Why are you like this?"_

_Iris could barely hear her father, Calvin, say these words since she was crying so loud. She looked at him and, from the corner of her eye, she saw the incident all over again. Daisy was getting yelled at by their mother. Skye was sitting on the porch, trying to block out the yelling._

_All of a sudden, Iris felt her head being turned around. Calvin had pulled her face back to him. His entire face was red, boiling with anger._

_"I ask you a question, you answer it! Why are you like this!?"_

_"I don't know!"_

/

_BING!_

The sound of her phone going off snapped Iris back to reality. _Who the hell is texting me? I swear, if it's Grant..._

Iris stood up and walked back to her bed to grab her phone. As she looked at the text, she felt a chill go up her spine. 

**(UNIDENTIFIED NUMBER): We know who your parents are, Iris Johnson. This is an early warning. S.H.I.E.L.D. is coming to get you. Leave SF now. We'll contact you again in a later date.**

* * *

PHIL COULSON

"This is Coulson. Yes, I am aware that Agent Johnson is being assigned to my team. What do we do about the sisters? Yes...yes...I understand. No, I don't have a problem with that, Director Fury. I'll handle it."

"May, this is Coulson. I got the go-ahead from Fury. Bring in the other two Johnsons."


	2. The Ninja

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting the go-ahead to recruit Skye and Iris Johnson, Agent Phil Coulson visits another S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to help him out...

PHIL COULSON

Location: Sacred Saints Cemetery, New York City, United States

Time: 6:00 PM 

Phil Coulson never liked visiting cemeteries. Not only did he have to attend the funerals for both of his parents, he also had to attend the ones for each S.H.I.E.L.D. agent that fell under his command. At some point, all the funerals he attended started to blur as routine kicked in. Go in, say your condolences to the family, pay your respects, then leave for the next mission. It was 'rinse and repeat' at this point to him. Visiting the grave of this particular agent shouldn't feel too different but yet, somehow, this one bothered him more than the others. 

JOHN GARRETT

1955-2012

May he find peace in the arms of God

No one outside of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top brass knew the truth. To everyone else, he was killed during a rescue mission in France. But Coulson knew what truly happened. How Garrett disobeyed his orders to aid the Avengers. How Garrett tried to stop Loki on his own. How Loki stabbed the man in the back. Truthfully, Coulson had to admit that Garrett did end up stopping Loki because of what he did. The Avengers wouldn't have come together if it hadn't been for his sacrifice. However, Coulson hated that it took the death of their biggest fan to get them to stop bickering and act as a team. 

/

_Coulson ran into the room after hearing what happened. He was just about to yell at Garrett for his insubordination...until he saw the blood. The wound was deep and it was clear that the man was fading._

_Garrett looked up at Coulson, clearly fading from the blood loss. "Sorry, boss," he said, weakly, "They got rabbited."_

_"Just stay awake, Garrett. Eyes on me!"_

_"No. I'm clocked out here."_

_"Not an option."_

_"It's okay, boss. This was never going to work...if they didn't have...something...to..."_

_And just like that, Garrett slowly slumped over. He was gone._

/

As he looked over the grave, Agent Melinda May joined his side to lay down a bouquet of roses before the headstone. He wasn't surprised to see her, they needed to talk about the Johnson sisters. Although it seemed odd to discuss operations with the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Science Division, she was his closest friend and one of the few people in this world who he felt he could trust. 

Melinda sighed, just as sad over the death of Garrett as Coulson was. Feeling awkward at the silence, Coulson said, "Sorry we're meeting here. I was just in the area and...well...it's been a few months since I paid my respects. So I thought...you know...might as well." May nodded at that, understanding the situation. 

"You know what keeps replaying in my head," May said, turning to Coulson as she did, "Before he died, Garrett kept talking about how he was going to go on a road trip around the country. Start in Maine, then end in Washington. He was even thinking about inviting Captain America to join him. He said it was to help him readjust but...we knew what the real reason was."

Coulson chuckled at that. It was no secret that Garrett greatly admired Captain America. Coulson did as well but for Garrett, it was like meeting one of his childhood icons. "He was the biggest Captain America fanboy," Coulson said, "Even bigger than me."

Another tense silence. May then said, "He didn't deserve what happened to him. I hope wherever Thor took Loki...that he's rotting there." 

Coulson nodded at that. _Then again, that's the nature of this job. You don't join S.H.I.E.L.D. with the expectation that you'll be lucky every single time._

May stood up and turned to Coulson. She said, "So, we're picking up all three Johnsons then? How'd you get Fury to agree to that?"

"You read the Johnson family dossier, right?"

"Not yet, but I can read it when I get back to the Quinjet."

"Read through it all. It's pretty gnarly stuff. And once you do, you'll know why Fury agreed with me that we need all three of them with S.H.I.E.L.D.."

/

_Coulson sat down and opened up the first Johnson dossier. Calvin Johnson, father of 3, currently in custody, being held at the Vault alongside Emil Blonsky/Abomination. The police reports were scattered and confusing but Coulson could piece together why S.H.I.E.L.D. was interested in him. Science experiments being conducted in some random small town in the Midwest. Then there were the murders he committed to keep his experiments a secret._

_Then there was the second Johnson dossier. Jiaying Johnson, mother of 3, deceased. Most of the details were classified (LEVEL 10 S.H.I.E.L.D. clearance only) but Coulson could still tell what happened from the public information. The mother went insane, tried to kill her children, then was apparently killed by Daisy Johnson in self-defense. The triplets were aged 15 at the time. Daisy claimed that she wasn't trying to kill her mother, that it was an accident, but her sisters claimed otherwise. The Johnson sisters had a massive falling out afterwards and a few months later, they all split ways._

_Daisy was cleared of all charges (the police at the time ruled the death as a "justifiable homicide") and, alongside Skye and Iris, was sent to live in the Saint Agnes Orphanage. She lived there most of her life before finally getting a chance to attend the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Operations._

_Iris was the only one who got adopted. She was taken in by a wealthy Californian family, leading to her moving from the East Coast to the West Coast._

_Skye ran away from the orphanage after a week. She's been missing ever since then but S.H.I.E.L.D. has been keeping tabs on her ever since she resurfaced as a member of the Rising Tide._

_Messed up family history, Coulson thought to himself. I really wouldn't want to be any of these girls._

_But aside from all of that, what was truly bothering Coulson was the Level 10 clearance. He was used to information being locked away for security purposes, but this was rare. This was the maximum level of security, meaning that only the top of S.H.I.E.L.D. are aware of the details. Just based on how troublesome things could be at just level 6 or 7, Coulson suddenly became uncomfortable at the thought of working with Daisy Johnson. He couldn't prove it but his gut was telling him that she was bringing something with her, something dangerous._

_/_

May nodded her head. "Just wondering, can you at least tell me what you're getting us involved with?"

Coulson shrugged at that. It's not that he didn't want to tell her, it's just he wasn't so sure himself. He just had a gut feeling that something was stirring, especially with Daisy Johnson becoming a full-fledged S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and being assigned to his team. Trip had told him about the placement, which led to him reading the Johnson dossiers in the first place. 

"I'll tell you once something happens," Coulson said, "That's the best you're gonna get from me."

"That's not much of an answer, Coulson."

"Well, that's what I got."

May shook her head at that, clearly irritated but understanding of the situation. "Fine. I'll go after Iris. I've already got my agent on her, we just have to bring her in." 

"And I'm meeting Daisy Johnson once her transfer to my team is made official."

"So who's getting Skye?"

/

_"Director Fury, are you sure about this-"_

_"Coulson, you're already on thin ice with this Johnson family mess. If you're going to go through with this, I want one of my own to be part of your team. Don't take this the wrong way but I'm not exactly confident that you'll handle this situation with grace."_

_"You're putting in one of your own to monitor my team then. How do you expect my team to function with your watchdog keeping tabs on everyone?"_

_"You'll get used to her...and most importantly, it'll put my mind at ease."_

_Coulson sighed at that. Although he hated the idea of someone being assigned to his team just to keep watch over everyone, he had no choice in this situation. "Who is it?"_

/

"New person, apparently. Her name's Jemma Simmons." 

"Never heard of her."

"Neither have I, but Fury apparently trusts her. I'm going to meet her today, see what she's all about."

"Alright...good luck with that, Coulson."

Although May said that to put Coulson at ease, something about those words made him worry about his meet-up. This woman earned Nick Fury's trust to the point that he was having her act as his eyes and ears within Coulson's team. It made Coulson wonder, just what the hell did this woman do to gain the Director's trust. 

* * *

PHIL COULSON

Location: The Yukimura Dojo, New York City, United States 

Time: 9:00 PM

**Jemma Anne Simmons**

**Born: 1987**

**Country of birth: United Kingdom**

**S.H.I.E.L.D. Clearance Level: 9**

That was the information that was available for all levels of S.H.I.E.L.D.. As Coulson looked over Simmons' dossier, he used his ID badge to unlock the rest of her profile. Although Simmons was level 9, one level higher than his, Nick Fury had granted Coulson special permission to access her information. It made sense; if they were going to work together, Coulson needed to know who he was dealing with. 

"Jemma A. Simmons," Coulson read to himself, "Lost her parents when she was 6. Public was told that they died in a plane crash as a result of faulty wiring. In truth, they were assassinated. Assassins are unknown, as well as their employers. Jemma would later be adopted by the Yoshioka family in Japan. Apparently, the Yoshiokas, the heads of one of Japan's most powerful tech organizations, were friends with the Simmons family."

Coulson skipped through the next few pages. So far, he wasn't seeing anything that was worth the level 9 clearance classification. By the time he stopped skipping through, he instantly realized why Fury had to keep Jemma's identity a secret.

"'By age 15, Jemma was formally inducted into the ancient Japanese organization known as 'The Hand'. Existing since the age of Feudal Japan, the Hand is an order of warriors and killers that is regularly used by outside forces to execute high-profile assassinations.' Great, so basically, Nick Fury is assigning a ninja to my team. That's just wonderful." Coulson huffed in annoyance, closed the dossier and entered the dojo, wary of his own presence. 

In the center of the dojo, he saw the assassin herself. She was meditating, her legs crossed and her eyes fully closed. It looked like she was training just based on her workout attire. As Coulson approached her, he heard Jemma say, "Did you like my profile, level 8?"

_Huh...she's British. Well, duh, Coulson, that was in her dossier._

"It was...very interesting," Coulson said, "Like...Beverly Hills Ninja meets Downton Abbey." _Okay Coulson, even for you, that was a bad joke._

Jemma didn't seem to notice as she opened her eyes and looked right at Coulson. As Coulson tried to read her facial expressions, he found that it was hard to tell what she was thinking. She hasn't even done anything yet and still, he felt intimidated. 

"So Fury tells me that you're getting ready to ruin a rookie agent's first day on the job," Jemma said, sounding a bit too happy at what she said, "Instead of just welcoming Daisy Johnson to S.H.I.E.L.D. like any other S.H.I.E.L.D. commanding officer, you're gonna force her to reconnect with her estranged sisters. Now, even to someone like me, that's just cold."

"I wasn't going to immediately bring them together. I was hoping to at least get the other two sisters under S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance, then slowly get them warmed up to the idea of reconnecting." 

"You're starting to sound like a dad who just wants his children to get along."

"It's nothing like that. I don't have any personal attachments to the Johnsons, this is just a matter of security. You read the Johnson reports, you should know why I feel nervous about Daisy joining my team."

At that, Jemma didn't respond. Instead, she simply stood up and walked over to a nearby water cooler and poured herself a cup. After taking a big sip, she turned back to Coulson and said, "I read the reports. Awful what happened to them. And I do agree that there's something fishy about those sisters. Nick Fury wouldn't just put them at level 10 for no reason. So I don't blame you for trying to get ahead of the game, I'm just saying this might blow up in your face. A lot of factors you need to consider; the sisters' tense relationship, Rising Tide losing their minds over Skye being brought into S.H.I.E.L.D., Iris suddenly disappearing from her very upper-class, high society social circle." 

"I know. But this is the plan and I'm going through with it. So...are you fine with all of this? Can I rely on you?" 

Jemma smirked at that. She finished drinking her water, then walked back to Coulson. "Depends. Now, before I accept any job, I want to make sure I can trust the guy giving out the orders. Especially someone who's a level below mines...so really, I should be the one taking the charge."

"What, Fury didn't tell you about me?"

"No...he talked about you, Level 8. You lost your parents several years ago, graduated from the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy of Communications, helped recruit Iron Man and Thor to the Avengers. But that doesn't tell me anything. I want to know more about _you._ "

"Well...what do you want to know?"

"What makes you...you. I'll start. I love Doctor Who. My favorite S.H.I.E.L.D. icon is Peggy Carter. It's because I admire her strength, tenacity, intelligence...also, she has a great sense of fashion. I once had to get surgery to fix my scoliosis and if I didn't become an assassin, I would've liked to have pursued science. Biochemistry, to be exact. Now you."

"Well...okay...my favorite Avenger is Captain America-"

"-Okay, I'm already bored. Let's make this more fun."

"-Wait, more fun how-"

Suddenly, Jemma threw out a quick jab, catching Coulson on the bridge of his nose. As he quickly recovered, he dodged another quick jab, then stepped out of the way to avoid a leg sweep. Coulson defended against another barrage of strikes before finally managing to push Jemma back, giving them some distance. Jemma chuckled at him as Coulson began to circle the mat, with his guard up.

"What the hell are you doing, Simmons!" Coulson shouted.

"Bonding," she said with a laugh, "Growing up with the Hand, my friends and classmates would always get into fights just for fun. It helps build character and keeps you on your toes. Come on, keep going, I'm still listening."

"How am I supposed to keep going when you're-"

"I said keep going!" 

Jemma ran forward and tried to take Coulson down with a leaping kick. Coulson then quickly stepped out of the way and backed up to regain their distance. Jemma recovered and moved towards him, trying to block his path. Once again, Coulson successfully evaded her while managing to maintain their distance. "Damn it...I love the Star Wars movies...I played Little League when I was a kid-"

"-what was your batting average!?" Jemma gleefully shouted as she zoomed over to Coulson and threw two punches his way. Coulson blocked the second, then hit back with a counter-punch. Jemma shrugged the punch off, then backed Coulson up with a flurry of punches and kicks. Before Coulson could push back, Jemma managed to grab a hold of his left arm and took him down. She then went for an armbar attempt, quickly sending Coulson into a panic. Coulson blocked the armbar by grabbing his hand before Jemma could extend it and forced Jemma off of him. He scrambled back up, catching his breath as he did.

".400 average," Coulson panted. _Damn it, this woman is crazy!_

".400? Cool. Anything else you have to say?"

"Can we just end this?!"

"No, I'm having fun! Think of it this way, the more you tell me, the closer we get to finishing this." 

"Well, I like kangaroos...I once got left behind by Nick Fury at a Blockbuster...I was scared of bats when I was a kid...my best friend is the head of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Science Division-"

 _SCHWICK!_ It happened so fast that Coulson barely managed to dodge the shuriken that Jemma threw at him from one of her pockets. His eyes grew wide from shock. Punches, kicks, and takedowns were one thing...but she just threw a bladed weapon his way. Furious, he turned back to Jemma and shouted, "What the hell are you thinking!?"

"Testing your reflexes," Jemma cheekily said, "Congrats, you passed."

"Passed what?!"

Jemma shrugged. "I don't know exactly...I thought that was just a cool thing to say at the moment."

"Alright, that's enough. We're done with this!"

"Oh, relax Coulson, I'm just having a bit of fun here. The fact that you obliged me instead of just walking out of the dojo is more than enough for me to work with you."

 _The nerve of this woman._ "Wait...were you going to reject this mission if I didn't fight with you!?"

"No, of course not, don't be an idiot. Fury assigned me to you and the Hand currently has a nice, working relationship with you S.H.I.E.L.D. lot. All I'm saying is...there's a difference between a boss who you can look forward to working with...and a boss who you just want to get rid of. Count yourself lucky that I want to work with you." 

Jemma laughed at that but her demeanor sent chills down Coulson's spine. _Note to self; don't get on Jemma Simmons' bad side._

"Alright," Jemma said, "So, what happens now?"

"Well...I'm meeting Daisy Johnson soon, once she officially gets transferred to my unit. Melinda May is picking up Iris Johnson in California."

"Melinda May? You mean...Head of the Science Division Melinda May, the very same one?"

"Yeah, that's her. Why are you concerned?"

Jemma shrugged. "Not really a scientist's job to perform a kidnapping."

"We're not kidnapping-"

"-I know, I know, I'm just kidding. So, that leaves me with the third one, Skye Johnson?"

"Yes. Do you need her files or anything-"

"-no, I got it covered. I've got level 9 clearance, remember? Besides, it won't be too hard to track down the Rising Tide."

At that, Jemma extended her hand to Coulson. At first, Coulson was hesitant to shake her hand back. He was calculating all the ways that she could hurt him, from taking him down to the floor or breaking his wrist. However, when he took her hand, she simply shook it back. It was the first time that Coulson felt comfortable in her presence. 

"You can let go of my hand, boss," Jemma said, "I wasn't going to try anything."

"How do you know I was worried about that?"

"...your hand is sweating a lot."

Coulson quietly cursed as he wiped the sweat off of his palm. When he looked back at Jemma, she bowed to him and said, "Looking forward to working with you, Mr. Coulson." 

* * *

PHIL COULSON

Location: Outside the Yukimura Dojo 

_BRING! BRING!_

As if on cue, Coulson's phone went off the second he stepped out of the Yukimura Dojo. Curious, he looked at the caller ID, wondering if it was May or Fury with an update on the Johnson sisters. Instead, it was another name; "L. Coulson". 

_Oh...right._

Coulson hesitantly answered the call, expecting to be chewed out. "Lola," he said, "I meant to call you this morning-"

"-don't bother, Phil, it's okay. I was just calling to tell you that the concert went great and that you can watch the recording when you get home...whenever that day is."

 _She doesn't sound okay._ "I just...I got caught up with work and I had to meet the new person assigned to me-"

"-Phil, I already said it's okay. Clark wasn't expecting to see you at the concert anyways." 

And at that, Coulson's heart sank. He wasn't surprised that his son felt that way. It's hard not to feel that way when your dad always seemed to be on the other side of the world. 

/

_"I promise you, I'll make it to your band concert."_

_Clark Coulson looked back at his dad, a skeptical frown on his face as he did. "Dad, seriously, it's okay. I know you got to do...whatever the hell it is you do with S.H.I.E.L.D.. I'm having Uncle Gregg record it anyways so you can watch it later."_

_"Are you sure you're okay with that?"_

_"Dad...I'll live. Maybe mom might be upset but it's cool with me."_

_/_

"How was it, Lola?" Phil said with a sigh. 

"He did great. In fact, he did so good that his band instructor talked to him about going to Berklee."

"UC Berkeley?"

"No, the other Berklee. The music school. I think Clark's really going to do it too. He absolutely loves that cello and he told me that if he had the chance, he would become a professional musician. Maybe work for someone like Hans Zimmer or John Williams. His words, not mine."

No words. Coulson smiled at everything his wife had to say but he couldn't answer her back. Even though his son said he was fine with his line of work, Phil couldn't help but feel guilty. It was times like this that he truly wondered if it was worth staying with S.H.I.E.L.D.. He had been serving the organization since the 1990s...maybe it was time to start thinking about retirement? 

"Phil? Phil, you there?" Lola's words brought Coulson back to his senses.

"Sorry, just...taking it in, you know. Can you tell Clark that I think he should go for it?"

"I'll tell him in the morning."

"Thank you...and Lola, once again, I'm sorry." 

A long pause. Long enough to feel uncomfortable and worry about what the other side was thinking. Then, just as Coulson was about to ask if Lola was still there, she said, "Don't be. Just take care of yourself and keep on...saving the world, or whatever it is you're doing, Phil."

"Yeah...yeah. I'll talk to you later. I love you-"

 _BEEPBEEP._ Coulson barely managed to eek out his words before Lola hung up. He could only hope that she heard what he had to say before she hung up. Coulson then put his phone away and walked over to his van. _No time to worry about family...I got a rookie agent to meet with._

* * *

JEMMA SIMMONS

Location: The Yukimura Dojo, New York City, United States 

Time: A few minutes after Coulson left 

_BRING! BRING!_

Jemma quickly answered her phone after seeing the caller ID. Switching to Japanese, she said, "Hello?"

A familiar voice rang out from the other end. "New target, worth a few bricks of gold. And apparently, you're in a pretty good position to take this contract."

"Hmm...sounds like the client is offering top dollar. Which poor soul am I going after?"

"Word got out that S.H.I.E.L.D. is assigning you to bring in Rising Tide hacker Skye Johnson into custody. And there's a high chance that Rising Tide leader Leopold James Fitz will be with her. I have a powerful client from China who says they'd be really happy to see Mr. Fitz gone."

 _Hmm...so this capture mission now has a secondary objective. Well, more money for me. Sounds great._ "Send me the contract on this 'Leopold Fitz'. I'll have it done within the next few weeks."

"This won't be a conflict of interest with S.H.I.E.L.D., right Ms. Simmons?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. only wants the girl. Everyone else is expendable."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as you can tell, the AOS characters will be pretty different in this universe. My goal isn't to turn them into completely new characters but rather a remixed version where you can still see traits of the original incarnation. 
> 
> Anyways, let me know what you thought of this chapter! I'm always open to feedback!

**Author's Note:**

> Quick note, don't expect fast or consistent updates to this story. My life is pretty busy so I'm doing this whenever I get some downtime. Other than that, please enjoy! And feel free to toss some fan theories my way, I'd love it if we could treat this like the actual show.


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